Composite cartridge pack for hardening resins

ABSTRACT

A composite pack for a two-component hardening resin comprises two flexible frangible containers, one within the other, each end of the inner container being within an end of the outer and the ends being closed by a compression closure member, one container containing the resin and the other a resin hardener.

United States Patent 1 Ball [ 51 June 5,1973

[54] COMPOSITE CARTRIDGE PACK FOR HARDENING RESINS [75] Inventor:Malcolm James Ball, Troon, Scotland [73] Assignee: Imperial ChemicalIndustries Limited, London, England [22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1971 [21]App1.No.: 172,114

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 1, 1970 Great Britain..41,733/70 [52] US. Cl. ..206/47 A, 52/309, 61/45 B [51] Int. Cl...B65d 81/32 [58] Field of Search ..206/47 A, 46 F, 84,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,308,936 3/1967 Roland etal. ..206/46 F Primary ExaminerWi1liam T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney-Cushman,Darby & Cushman [57] ABSTRACT A composite pack for a two-componenthardening resin comprises two flexible frangible containers, one withinthe other, each end of the inner container being within an end of theouter and the ends being closed by a compression closure member, onecontainer containing the resin and the other a resin hardener.

l2 Claims,'3 Drawing Figures COMPOSITE CARTRIDGE PACK FOR HARDENINGRESINS This invention relates to a composite two component cartridgepack of resin and resin hardener for stabilizing and reinforcing rockformations and for securing elements in boreholes. The invention alsoincludes a method of making the cartridge pack.

The use of hardening resins for securing elements such as anchor boltsin boreholes is well known and has become common practice for securingroof bolts in mines. In this method a resin composition anda hardenertherefor are introduced into the borehole as at least two separatecomponents in frangible containers and the element to be fixed in theborehole is rotated or vibrated as it is inserted in the borehole tobreak the containers and mix the components. The resin subsequentlyhardens to secure the element in position. The method has been generallydescribed, for example, in British Pat. Specifications Nos. 998,240 and1,160,123.

The resins used comprise, for example, polyester, epoxy and polyurethaneresins. The resin component generally contains the resin, a resincross-linking substance, for example styrene, and inert filler. Thehardener component usually contains a polymerization catalyst, forexample, peroxides of organic acids, to promote the cross-linkingreaction and it may also contain fillers and other modifiers.

For example, the hardener may contain flame retardants such aschlorinated paraffins. It is usually considered advantageous for thehardener to be distributed along the resin component and composite packshave been proposed wherein the hardener has been contained in an annularlayer around the resin component or in an elongated frangible containerentirely within the resin container. These packs have been ratherdifficult to make in a form which would ensure positive relativepositioning of the components, rupturing of the component containers anduniform mixing of the components on insertion of the element into theborehole.

It is an object of this invention to provide a readily made compositecartridge pack of hardening resins wherein the relative longitudinalpositioning of hardener and resin is maintained and rupturing anduniform mixing in the borehole is facilitated.

In accordance with the invention a composite two component cartridgepack of hardening resin comprises two tubular, flexible, frangiblecontainers disposed one within the other, each end of the innercontainer being within an end of the outer container, the ends of bothcontainers being crimped and sealed by a compression closure member, onemember embracing each end of the outer container, one containercontaining a resin and the other container containing a hardener for theresin. Whilst the resin and hardener may be in either of the containers,the hardener is usually the smaller component and it is generally moreconvenient for the hardener to be in the inner container with the resinin the space between the containers.-

The containers are conveniently made from synthetic plastics film, forexample films of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride orpolyethyleneterephthalate. Films in the form of lay flat tubing areespecially convenient. The compression closure member is conveniently atying device, for example tying wire, tape, string or a compressiblemetal clip.

The invention also includes a method of making the composite cartridgepack, which method comprises feeding an end portion of an inner tubular,flexible, frangible container containing a first component of ahardening resin through an outer tubular, flexible, frangible container,crimping the ends of the container and applying a compression closuremember over the crimped end of the outer container to seal bothcontainers, introducing a second component of the said hardening resininto the space between the containers, crimping the containers toenclose the said second component within the outer container, andapplying a second compression closure member around the crimped portionof the outer container to seal both containers and cutting thecontainers transversely beyond the second closure member to separate thethus formed composite cartridge pack from the adjacent portions of theflexible containers.

The second resin component may advantageously be fed into the outercontainer by extruding it through a nozzle. The filling operation may bespeeded up by first shirring a long outer tubular container over thenozzle and simultaneously feeding one resin component through the nozzleand feeding the inner container along the outside of the nozzle.Conveniently, at appropriate invervals, two closure members slightlyspaced apart are applied around the crimped portion of the outercontainer and the containers are divided by cutting between the closuremembers. In this method the extrusion pressure advances the outercontainer and the drag of the end closure member on the inner containersimultaneously advances the inner container.

The inner container is also advantageously filled by extruding the firstcomponent into it and long lengths may be filled by shirring the tubularcontainer over an extrusion nozzle. It is advantageous to fill bothcontainers simultaneously using two adjacent extrusion machines. Thefilling operation may, if desired, be made completely continuous bymaking the tubular containers from longitudinally folded tape which iscontinuously folded around the extrusion nozzles and side seamedimmediately before filling.

The invention is further illustrated by the following description of theproduction of a preferred cartridge pack, which is described by way ofexample only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. 1is a longitudinal section of a cartridge pack;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the pack of FIG. 1 on the line IIII;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing the making of the pack of FIG. 1.

The cartridge pack of FIG. I has an inner tubular container 10 oflay-flat synthetic plastics film inside an outer tubular container 11also of synthetic plastics film. The container 10 contains a resinhardener l2 and a resin composition 13 is contained in container 11. Theends of the containers are compressed and closed by metal clips 14, eachend of container 10 being firmly held within an end of container 11. Thecontainer 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is co-axial with container 11 but itwill be apparent that, because of the flexibility of the containers,there will be relative movement of the inner and outer containers andthe inner container will usually cnly occupy this position when the endsof the outer container are urged apart.

In manufacturing the cartridge pack two extruders l5 and l6,arranged asshown in FIG. 3,are used to extrude hardener 12 and resin composition 13respectively. A length of tubular container is shirred over the nozzle17 of extruder 15 and hardener is extruded into it. Similarly a lengthof tubular container 11 is shirred over the nozzle 18 of extruder 16 andresin composition 13 is fed into it. The filled length of container 10is fed through the nip of a pair of rolls 19, the nip of the rolls beingadjustable to permit variation of the amount of hardener per unit lengthand is then fed through the space between the container 11 and nozzle 18and through the end of container 11. A metal clip 14 is compressed onthe end of container 11 so as to close container 11 and an end portionof container 10 within container 11. As resin composition is extrudedinto container 11, both containers are advanced. At an appropriate stagethe filled portion of the container 11 is constricted as illustrated atpositions a and b and two metal clips 14 are applied side by side to theconstricted portion. The containers are then severed between the clips14 as shown at position a.

The following Example further illustrates the practice of the invention.

EXAMPLE The cartridge pack of this Example contained 450 g. of resincomposition in an outer polythene tubular container, 34 cm. long, 30 mm.diameter having a wall thickness of 0.025 mm., and 30 g. of hardenercomposition in a flattened inner polythene tubular container 34 cm.long, 18 mm. diameter having a wall thickness of 0.025 mm. The ends wereclosed by a U-clip bent inwards at both ends to embrace the containerends. For filling the containers 46 cm. long extruder nozzles were used,the nozzle 17 being 7 mm. outside diameter and nozzle 18 being 14 mm.outside diameter. It was convenient to load 17 meter lengths of thecontainers 10 and 11 over the nozzles before commencing a fillingoperation and this was sufficient for 45 to 50 cartridges.

The resin composition contained Parts by weight Leguval K25R resin 40Ground dolomite filler 36 Chlorinated paraffin wax (fire retardant) 4The Leguval K25R (Registered Trade Mark) resin used is an unsaturatedpolyester type resin commercially available from Farbenfabriken BayerAG. It contained a mixture of maleic acid and adipic acid esterifiedwith a dihydric alcohol such as ethylene glycol and styrene as thecross-linking agent.

The hardener composition contained Parts by weight Benzo lperoxide 26.0Dime y phthalate (plasticlser) 17.5 Chlorinated paraffin was 21.7 Chinaclay 17.4 Ground dolomite 17.4

A resin cartridge pack of this Example was placed in a closed end of arigid tube of transparent acrylic plastics material having an internaldiameter of 35 mm. A 30 mm. diameter wooden rod rotated at 350 rpm wasadvanced through the cartridge until the rod reached the closed end ofthe tube. The polythene containers of the cartridge were shredded intosmall fragments and the hardener and resin compositions were thoroughlymixed. The resin set hard in a few minutes, sealing the rod into theacrylic tube over a length of 60 cm. without leaving any uncuredportions of resin.

Further cartridge packs were tested in holes drilled in coal and rock inmines and metal bolts were successfully secured in the holes.

What we claim is:

1. A composite two component cartridge pack of hardening resinscomprising two tubular, flexible, frangible containers disposed onewithin the other, each end of the inner container being within an end ofthe outer container, the ends of both containers being crimped andsealed by encircling compression closure members, one member embracingeach end of the outer container so as to seal an end of each container,the outer container containing a resin and the inner containercontaining a hardener for the resin.

2. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein the containers are made fromsynthetic plastics film.

3. A pack as claimed in claim 2 wherein the containers are made fromfilms of polethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride orpolyethyleneterephthalate.

4. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein the compression closure membercomprises tying wire, tape, string or a compressible metal clip.

5. A method of making a composite cartridge pack of hardening resinwhich comprises feeding an end por-' tion of an inner tubular, flexible,frangible container containing a first component of a hardening resinthrough an outer tubular, flexible,-frangible container, crimping theends of the containers and applying a compression closure member overthe crimped end of the outer container to seal both containers,introducing a second component of the said hardening resin into thespace between the containers, crimping the containers to enclose thesaid second component within the outer container and applying a secondcompression closure member around the crimped portion of the outercontainer to seal both containers and cutting the containerstransversely beyond the second closure member to separate the thusformed composite cartridge pack from the adjacent portions of theflexible containers.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the second resin component isfed into the outer container by extruding it through a nozzle.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the outer tubular container isshirred over the nozzle, one resin component is fed through the nozzleand the inner con tainer is simultaneously fed along the outside of thenozzle.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein, at appropriate intervals, twoclosure members slightly spaced apart are applied around the crimpedportion of the outer container and the containers are divided by cuttingbetween the closure members.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein both containers are filledsimultaneously using two adjacent extrusion machines.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the tubular containers aremade in a continuous manner from longitudinally folded tape which iscontinuously folded around the extrusion nozzles and side seamedimmediately before filling.

11. The pack of claim 1 wherein the resin in the outer container is anunsaturated polyester type resin and a cross-linking agent, and thehardener in the inner container comprises a polymerizing catalyst.

12. The pack of claim 11 wherein the resin is a mixture of maleic acidand adipic acid esterified with ethylene glycol, the cross-linking agentis styrene and the catalyst is an organic peroxide.

4: a a a a

1. A composite two component cartridge pack of hardening resinscomprising two tubular, flexible, frangible containers disposed onewithin the other, each end of the inner container being within an end ofthe outer container, the ends of both containers being crimped andsealed by encircling compression closure members, one member embracingeach end of the outer container so as to seal an end of each container,the outer container containing a resin and the inner containercontaining a hardener for the resin.
 2. A pack as claimed in claim 1wherein the containers are made from synthetic plastics film.
 3. A packas claimed in claim 2 whErein the containers are made from films ofpolethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride orpolyethyleneterephthalate.
 4. A pack as claimed in claim 1 wherein thecompression closure member comprises tying wire, tape, string or acompressible metal clip.
 5. A method of making a composite cartridgepack of hardening resin which comprises feeding an end portion of aninner tubular, flexible, frangible container containing a firstcomponent of a hardening resin through an outer tubular, flexible,frangible container, crimping the ends of the containers and applying acompression closure member over the crimped end of the outer containerto seal both containers, introducing a second component of the saidhardening resin into the space between the containers, crimping thecontainers to enclose the said second component within the outercontainer and applying a second compression closure member around thecrimped portion of the outer container to seal both containers andcutting the containers transversely beyond the second closure member toseparate the thus formed composite cartridge pack from the adjacentportions of the flexible containers.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 5wherein the second resin component is fed into the outer container byextruding it through a nozzle.
 7. A method as claimed in claim 5 whereinthe outer tubular container is ''shirred'' over the nozzle, one resincomponent is fed through the nozzle and the inner container issimultaneously fed along the outside of the nozzle.
 8. A method asclaimed in claim 7 wherein, at appropriate intervals, two closuremembers slightly spaced apart are applied around the crimped portion ofthe outer container and the containers are divided by cutting betweenthe closure members.
 9. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein bothcontainers are filled simultaneously using two adjacent extrusionmachines.
 10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the tubularcontainers are made in a continuous manner from longitudinally foldedtape which is continuously folded around the extrusion nozzles and sideseamed immediately before filling.
 11. The pack of claim 1 wherein theresin in the outer container is an unsaturated polyester type resin anda cross-linking agent, and the hardener in the inner container comprisesa polymerizing catalyst.
 12. The pack of claim 11 wherein the resin is amixture of maleic acid and adipic acid esterified with ethylene glycol,the cross-linking agent is styrene and the catalyst is an organicperoxide.